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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: saw · key · club · file · lash · land · foot · pound

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — a weight
  4. land — a country
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — ground
  7. key — for a lock
  8. foot — a measure
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. club — a group
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. club — for golf
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. key — the most important part
  15. file — a document
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. file — a line of people
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. saw — the tool
  22. club — for dancing
  23. file — a tool
  24. key — in music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com